Pak Song
Travel Guide
Sitting at a crossroads on a desolate stretch along the Bolaven Plateau, Pak Song boasts a dusty marketplace and a few newish buildings scattered around. Its primary importance is as a market centre for the numerous smaller villages in the area, and as a place for processing coffee beans grown on nearby plantations. It's surrounded by moorlands of grass and scrub dotted with occasional clumps of trees and pock-marked by bomb craters -- if you're walking around, stick to the paths.
At first there may not seem to be any reason to stop and stay here, but hang around for a while and you may start to change your mind. It's at a high elevation, and there's a cool tranquillity in the air you won't find elsewhere in the area. At the centre of town lies a football field, and much of the life of the town seems to centre around the sport in turn -- when we visited, an international tournament was under way.
Around the market in the evenings, you'll find locals whiling away the evening at one of the down-home, lao lao joints, nibbling on servings of pigs ears, pigs livers, and pigs kidney sausages. Foreigners are such a rarity, they're invariably asked to sit down and join the party. Don't worry, noodle soup is also an acceptable repast here as elsewhere in Lao.
Another good reason to stay a night or two here is to spend a day visiting the local Daoheuang Coffee Plantation, 17km away, and the local tribal village, 13.5km away.
Orientation
The first left toward the town centre as you approach from Pakse leads to the market, and the second left will take you straight to the Pak Song Guesthouse. Continuing past the town centre, you'll find the Boulevan Guesthouse on the left hand side when you bare left at the fork.
At the base of the road that leads to the Pak Song Guesthouse, you'll find the Lao Development Bank (Mon-Fri 08:30 to 15:30) and the Post Office (Daily: 08:00 to 16:00)
Internet is widely available everywhere -- if you bring your own computer - and a satellite uplink. If you have neither, then the closest internet is in Pakse.
Text and/or map last updated on 10th August, 2009.
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Tha Teng
Tad Lo
Pakse
Champasak
Ban Khiet Ngong
Sekong
Salavan
Attapeu
Khong Chiam (Thailand)
Pha Taem National Park (Thailand)
The above are all within 200km of Pak Song.
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Paksong Update (one more thing)
Oh yeah, one more thing...
Internet (WiFi) is available at Mr. Coffee's :-)
It's a big Black and White sign that says Coffee... Ya cant miss it.
An array of tours can also be arranged here and is a must stop place in Pakse as Mr. Coffee is up on all the latest news and the coffee is pretty dank.
By Sethlake (dabbler)
Written on 11th January, 2011 after a visit to Pak Song in ,
Also reviewed by Sethlake: Attapeu, Pakse,
Paksong update
The Paksong page needs a little update. I'm sure most of this is covered in the forums somewhere, but anyhow here's some cool tidbits.
There are several places to stay in Paksong, at least four. Greenview guest house is on the main strip as you hit Paksong from Pakse (on your right). A little further into town is Thevada Hotel... Here you can get a beautiful room with private hot water bathroom for 100.000 kip.
Also, although it's not necessarily in Paksong, Cafe Sinouk between Tha Teng and Paksong (roughly midway on east side of road) is absolutely magnificent. It is now fully functioning with rooms to stay in the "Chalet" and a restaurant. The place is beautiful. I have pictures if anyone would like. But the idea the Cafe is developed upon is great. As you come onto the property you are greeted warmly and invited to look around. Wherever you sit down is where you'll be served. The resturant has arranged several different "niches" for relaxation and eating. You can choose one in the shade by the stream or in the garden, or under an umbrella, in the sun, or in this beautiful pavillion etc etc you get the idea. Finally when your done, you can walk the groomed nature trails through the coffee plantation. Pretty sweet deal.
I am not sure as to the price for the rooms, but the meals were reasonably priced, especially considering the quality.
By Sethlake (dabbler)
Written on 11th January, 2011 after a visit to Pak Song in January, 2011
Also reviewed by Sethlake: Attapeu, Pakse,